Lupe Fiasco has dropped off a Thanksgiving gift for fans, making good on his promise to rap over the flute beats from André 3000‘s new album.
Taking to Twitter/X on Wednesday (November 22), the Chicago wordsmith posted a clip rapping over New Blue Sun cut, “I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album, But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time.”
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“I prefer Kintsugi pottery over pristine, perfectly-weaved sophistry/ I’m bodhisattva possibly ’cause being bothered don’t even bother me/ But not a Buddha ’cause I ain’t got the modesty/ What you miss mentally is how much I catch bodily,” he effortlessly spits.
Accompanied with the audio is a photo of Lupe and the late Virgil Abloh. “He showing me the custom case he made for 3 Stacks flute,” Lupe explains in the caption.
It’s unclear if he’s rapped over the entire album yet as promised, as this is all he’s shared so far. Listen to his first offering below.
“3,048”
Happy 🦃 Day
That’s me an Virgil at LV. He showing me the custom case he made for 3 Stacks flute.
— CHECKIN’ Out Now! #APTMC (@LupeFiasco) November 22, 2023
The legendary OutKast lyricist stunned fans last week by announcing his long-awaited solo album New Blue Sun, which dropped on Friday (November 17).
Despite his status as one of the most gifted rappers of all time — who, judging by his series of show-stealing guest verses, has still got it — the project features zero rapping or singing.
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Instead, it’s described as a “stunning” and “experimental” instrumental record that showcases 3 Stacks’ skills on the flute, the instrument he’s often seen playing during rare (and random) public appearances.
The news has been met with mixed reactions from rap heads who have been waiting almost two decades for a full-length solo offering from André Benjamin, and were hoping for the kind of dazzling displays of lyrical dexterity he’s famous for.
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But fans’ disappointment might be tempered by the plans of fellow rhyme virtuoso, Lupe Fiasco.
“Gonna rap all over that 3stacks album and put it in the time capsule for future generations,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) days before the album’s release.
His post was accompanied by a video of a dance troupe performing an elaborate routine to Michael Jackson‘s “Billie Jean,” a hint at the lyrical acrobatics to come.
The Chicago native is no stranger to applying his pen to eclectic sonic canvases. Outside of the Kanye West, Neptunes and Soundtrakk beats that have graced his studio albums, Lupe has rapped over music from Robert Glasper (“Valleys”), Radiohead (“The National Anthem”) and John Coltrane (“Life, Death & Love From San Francisco”).
Unlike André 3000, Lupe Fiasco hasn’t made plans to release a new album anytime soon, but he has kept his loyal fanbase fed this year with several loosies, including “SentRock,”“Roc-A-Fella Y’all” and “Channel No. 3.”
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His last full-length project, Drill Music In Zion, arrived last year and was named one of the best rap albums of the year by HipHopDX.
